Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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24. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to tackle the rise in anti-social behaviour in our capital city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60629/22]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and I am very aware of the damaging effect it can have on communities, particularly disadvantaged areas. It is vital that people are safe and feel safe and my Department is committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána have the resources they need to achieve this and to working across Government on a multi agency approach to the underlying causes of crime. 

The government are taking action to tackle anti-social behaviour in the following ways:

- giving An Garda Síochána the tools and technology to fight crime in a digital era by rolling out improved CCTV, body worn cameras and facial recognition technology

- Enacting legislation to tackle the illegal use of scramblers

- giving local people and local representatives a real say in how to make their communities safer through the new Community Safety Partnerships

- using community sanctions to address criminality, reduce reoffending and provide protection to the public

- publishing and enacting the Garda Powers Bill to modernise and update the powers available to An Garda Síochána

- publishing and enacting new legislation to criminalise the grooming of children to commit criminal offences, together with an intervention programme to support communities and break the link between the gangs and vulnerable youths

- An Garda Síochána have a number of operations currently in place to tackle anti-social behaviour in Dublin. Operation Citizen is designed to provide reassurance to the public, visitors and businesses of Dublin City Centre that it is a safe place to visit, socialise and do business in through an enhanced police presence. I am informed that the Gardaí will continue the operation for a further period of twelve months to November 2023, after which time it will be further evaluated.

- Operation Citizen is supported by other Garda Operations such as Operation Saul and Operation Spire. Operation Saul focuses on tackling anti-social behaviour on public transport networks in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. Operation Spire was initiated to combat all anti-social behaviour, particularly the supply of drugs in the O'Connell Street area.

- I understand the Office of Public Works is currently refurbishing a suitable premises at 13A O'Connell Street and that the planned opening of a permanent Garda Station at this location will support the maintenance of a high visibility presence by Gardaí in the area.  The Station will have a public office for members of the public to seek support and report crimes, and provide support to victims of crime. It will serve as a hub for Gardaí without the need to return to their designated station, as well as being the base location for Operation Citizen. 

- Evidence shows that the most effective way to tackle anti-social behaviour is through supports and services, such as Youth Diversion Schemes and the Community Safety Innovation Fund. Three innovative new Local Community Safety Partnerships are currently being piloted, including one in Dublin's North Inner City. These are designed to identify and prioritise the issues causing communities to feel unsafe and to address them collaboratively.

- Of course, all of these initiatives must be seen in the context of the record level of resources being provided to An Garda Síochána to fund personnel and equipment, and the implementation of the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland which is aimed at the delivery of a  world class policing service.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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25. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department has collated any figures regarding the number of reports made to gardaí of incidents where scramblers and quads have been reported as posing a danger to the public and if she can make them available. [60510/22]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I share the Deputy's concerns in relation to the public safety and anti-social issues associated with the misuse of such vehicles. 

The Deputy will be interested to know that the Expert Forum on Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), which I chair, is examining a broad range of issues, with a focus on developing measures which will address anti-social behaviour and its impact on community morale and quality of life.

I established a subgroup of the Anti-Social Behaviour Forum to deliver community based proposals to tackle the misuse of these vehicles. Arising from the work of the subgroup on the misuse of scramblers and quadbikes, funding of almost €200,000 is being provided to eight community-based projects to work with young people involved in the anti-social use of scramblers and quad bikes and related crime. 

I am advised by the Garda authorities that there were 178 incidents in 2021 and 80 in 2022 where a scrambler bike was seized or detained nationally. 

I am advised that, over a 2 year period, from 1 January 2021 to 3 October 2022, there were 143 scramblers seized in the Dublin Region.  Of these seized, 70 were seized in the Southern Region, 29 in the Eastern Region and 16 in the North-Western Region. 

I am advised by the Garda authorities that counts of fewer than 10 cannot be provided due to data protection concerns.

It is worth noting that the figures quoted are based upon operational data from the PULSE system as was available on 4 October 2022 and is liable to change.

The Deputy will be interested to know that my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan, has brought forward the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021 which is currently at Committee Stage in the Seanad. This Bill will make amendments to the Road Traffic Acts in order to ensure that prosecutions for dangerous driving may be taken against those who use scramblers, or other similar vehicles, in a dangerous way in any location as well as insert a new section into the 1961 Act.  This section will create a number of Garda powers to deal with a situation where a vehicle is being driven dangerously in any place and give Gardaí the powers to seize where necessary.